Someone, somewhere out there left Hong Kong International Airport $660,000 richer last week.
A bag containing NZD 1 million ($660,000) in cash being flown from Auckland, New Zealand to the Bank of China in Hong Kong went missing on Friday night, Shanghaiist reports. It was one of 13 bags, all marked “G4S International,” carrying over NZD 10 million ($6.6 million) in total being transported through a Cathay Pacific airplane.
After the flight carrying the cash bags arrived at its destination on 9:10 p.m. on Friday, surveillance cameras captured the bags being taken to Cathay’s subsidiary-provided cargo transfer service to be loaded onto a trailer before being driven away by a single driver with no security guard. As the truck turned a corner, however, three unsecured bags are reportedly seen falling from the trailer in the recorded footage.
A full 10 minutes later, after having arrived at the station, the driver of the truck realized the bags were missing and returned to the scene but was only able to recover two of the three bags, both still on the tarmac.
After an overnight search proved unfruitful, police are investigating the case as a theft.
A statement by the airline said:
“Cathay Pacific transported a valuable cargo shipment last Friday night to Hong Kong.
“Upon arrival, it was transferred to the cargo terminal where part of the shipment was found missing. As the case is under police investigation, we are unable to provide further details.”
According to G4S International Logistics, the company responsible for the cash’s delivery, the money was insured.
